MRBC aims to enable and encourage people to own, maintain, and ride bicycles safely.
We reclaim, refurbish, and redistribute used bicycles that would otherwise be heading for the landfill. We teach mechanics to youth and adults, and we partner with local DC area organizations to promote an inclusive and responsible bicycling community.
MRBC focuses its services locally but the shop and its programs are open to all members on a donation basis.

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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Wednesday 2/1/12

Last night saw two Ledroit Park incomers with a sleek folding bmx. They wanted the wobbles/play eliminated from the headtube and air in the tires. Success!

Travis and his likewise tool-smart friend came in with their rigged fixed. They wanted to activate the gears on it. They got it from a neighbor/friend who was clearing up space in the garage -type of thing. It has an old school bubble-gum pink tire on the back wheel. They're feeling it too....summer fun bike!

Jennifer came in with her daughters bike. Sound and strong it is, but clothing was trapped in the whirl and gears of the rear wheel. Ledroit Park BMXer freed it up with her.

We talked about Jennifer's artisan soaps (respond to learn more), and the concept of "fairtrade" -of ingredients which she utilizes. People learned about "fair-trade", about the processes of being certified keeping low-income earners from being able to participate, and largely about labor-bondage/slavery, racism and empire. Hey! We're all getting freer on Wednesday nights! We'll straighten the wobbles in our roll and we'll go there!! Together!

Job showed up with a pile of jerk chicken wrapped in foil, relieving this volunteer who'd only had pecans and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich earlier in their day of spackling and painting. Job grabbed a project bike from the back and got to assembling it. Job is interested in volunteering/supporting the coop. I hope he serves well at the coop because he'd be great for the operation. He is a local Mountie, eager, working really hard, getting really into his bike, and fluent, he is -Spanish to Americans, as he says, and Salvadorian to other Spanish speakers. Job is our future.

I mentioned the fence and police keeping skaters out of the new Rhode Island Ave skatepark, which elicited a call from the other side of the coop that they rode it and it is poorly designed, saying that it's size doesn't allow the more gregarious riding that other parks allow. One person has to ride at a slow pace with others not near -a more isolating skate park. That's two remarks from skaters (who fix their own bikes at the coop that maybe should look into stocking trucks/boards/grip tape) who are basically saying parks&planning/mncppc should allow participator intelligence in the design of an operation/space/park. Not a big problem that seems to have at least this one solution: user-participation-development.